Comparing the Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment on Lifestyle Related to Obesity in Individuals with Eating Disorder

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, and progressive disease that requires long-term, interdisciplinary treatment strategies to improve health outcomes. This study compared the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment on components of lifestyle related to obesity in overweight individuals with disordered eating behaviors.

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest-follow-up design and a control group. The study population   included 200 overweight individuals with irregular eating behaviors who referred to two obesity treatment clinics in Tehran between January 2023 and June 2024. According to the inclusion criteria, a sample of 45 people was randomly selected and placed in three cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment, and control groups (15 people in each group). Data were collected using Clark et al.’s obesity-related lifestyle questionnaire. The data were analyzed by the statistical method of analysis of variance with repeated measurements and Bonferroni post hoc test.

 Results: The results of analysis of variance showed that the mean obesity-related lifestyle score of cognitive behavioral group decreased from pre-test (103.61±6.39) to post-test (75.07±5.65) (p< 0.05), and in commitment and acceptance group decreased from pre-test (103.58±5.24) to post-test (88.27±5.16) (p< 0.05). This was while the mean scores of the control group did not change significantly in pre-test (103.94±6.19) and post-test (102/87±6/49) (p> 0.05). Moreover, both cognitive behavioral therapy and commitment and acceptance interventions significantly improved obesity-related lifestyle scores in the experimental groups compared to the control group (F=7.40, P=0.01); however, no significant difference was observed between the two interventions (p>0.05)

Conclusion: Cognitive behavioral therapy and commitment and acceptance are effective interventions in improving lifestyles related to obesity, and therapists in this field can use these therapeutic approaches to improve patients.